Aeroplane.



R. CHRISTIE.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I3. Isla l ,295,272 Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

AJ f B I N VEN TOR. ROBER I' CHRISTIE A TTORNE Y.

R. CHRISTIE.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION man mAY13.1918.

LQYD Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN VEN TOR. ROBER T CHRISTIE TORNE Y.

R. CHRISUE,

Patented Feb. 25, 19N).

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR.

ROBERT CHRISTIE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AEEOPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Application led May 13, 1918. Serial No. 234,165.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT CHRISTIE, citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco. State of California,have invented a new and useful Aeroplane, of which the following is a specication insuch full and clear terms as will enable those skilled in the art to con-- struct and use the same.

This invention relates to an. aeroplane, and its object is to rproduce a driving mechanism for the aeroplane which will have the requisite traction and lifting effect to drive the aeroplane forward at a, comparatively i vide means whereby the angle of lift of the propeller and of the aeroplane wings will be changed correspondingly and cordinately that is, with each change inposition of the aeroplane wings there will be a corresponding change in position of the propeller blades.

Other objects of the invention will appear i scale showing the manner of control of the tail blades, aeroplane blades and propeller blades,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the manner. of feathering the propeller blades, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of one of the sets of propeller blades looking at right angles to Fig. 3.

rl`he numerals 1, 2 and 3 represent the ground wheels, or landing wheels of the aeroplane. These wheels are suitably connected with the frame of the aeroplane for its support, an axle member 4 extending from the wheels 1 to 3, and a depending frame 5 being connected with the rear wheel 2 and tail of the aeroplane.

Since' this invention has to do only with the propellers, main wings and one of the tail wings, only the operating mechanism and control mechanism for those parts is illustrated.

The front axle supports two vertical members 7 and'S which are in turn connected near their upper ends toa horizontal member 9, while at their top they are pivotally connected with a suitable hollow shaft 10 which forms an axis for the upper aeroplane wing 11 to move on.

Between the vertical members 7 and 8 are two vertically extending posts 13 and 14 having rearwardly extending braces'l and 16 for the support of the engine 17. Extending rearwardly from the vertical frame consisting of the front axle 4 and the members 7, 8 and 9 are four rods 18, 18', 19, and 19', which rods are joined at their rear ends in a suitable frame 21 which supports the rudder 22 and two substantially horizontal tail' planes 23, 24. No means is shown for the movement of the rudder 22 since that mechanism forms no part of the present invention. The tail rudder 23 is movable upon a shaft 25 which supports the rudder 24. 4In order to strengthen the frame extending from the engine to the tail planes, there are four bars, connect-ing the members at 26, 27, 28, `28. The lower bar connecting the two rearwardly extending rods 18, 18 has a shaft 29 extending therethrough, which shaft is provided with a worm wheel 30 adjacent its center for the rotation thereof, and the rods through which said shaft extends are oonnected with a suitable bearing 31 which carries a shaft 32 for the sup ort of the worm 33 which is used to alter t e position of the planes, This shaft passes adjacent the seat of the perator at 32 and has a wheel 35 for rotating it.

The shaft 29 has levers 37, 38 at one end, and 39, 40 at the other end. The levers 37 and 39 are connected hy means of the rods 41, 42 with the rear edge of the two lower aeroplane wings 43, 44, and said wings are movable on the shafts 45, 46, which support them.

' rl`he levers 38, 40 are connected by means of the rods 47, 48 with the two levers 49, 50, which operate the two tail planes 23, 24.

The planes 11, 43 and 44 are connected with suitable 'bars and braces, as indicated at 50 to 57 inclusive, so that as the two lower planes are moved slightly in angle the upper plane will be moved through a corresponding angle parallel to the two lower planes or wings.

In order to further stiffen the frame, the shafts 10 and 46 are movable in the end pieces 0f a rod 58 connecting said shafts, and the shafts 45 and 10 at its opposite end are movable in the ends of a rod 59 connecting them.

The propeller is of the so called feathering blade type and has two horizontal shafts 60, 61 which are extensions of the crank shaft of the engine. The shafts are tubular and at their outer ends they respectively receive the shafts 45, 46 to which the aeroplane wings 43, 44 are connected, said shafts forming the outer bearings for the propellers. The shafts 60, 61 support hubs 62, 63 adjacent the engine, and at their outer ends they carry casings 64, 65 within whchare the gears for feathering the propeller blades. The shafts 45, 46 each have a gear fixed thereon within the casings 64, 65, the same as is indicated at 66 in Fig. 4. Each pro peller is made substantially the same as the other except that one is at the right of the engine and the other at the. left of the engine so that adescription of only one will be given.

Each propeller has four blades as indicated at 67 to 70 inclusive and said blades` are revoluble with short shafts 71 to 74 inclusive, the propeller blades having extensions into suitable journal boxes 76 carried by the spokes 77 which radiate from the hubs 62 and 63 respectively. The casings 64 and 65 each have four tubular arms 78 to 81 inclusive, which arms carry casings 82 to 85 at their outer ends. These arms and casings are braced by means of suitable wire cables 86 to 93 inclusive. The tubes 78 to 81 each have a shaft therein as indicated at 94 to 97 inclusive, and said shafts have bevel gears 95 to 98 inclusive in mesh with the fixed bevel gear 6G on the shaft 46. The short shafts 71 to 74 inclusive have bevel gears 99 to 102 inclusive within the casings 82 to 85 inclusive, and these gears .are in mesh with smaller gears 103 to 106 inclusive, which, with the gears at the center of the propeller are of a suitable ratio to rotate the propeller blades at one half the rate of revolution of the propellers, whereby first one side of the blade is used to produce the lifting effect, and then the other side, and at all times is the blade feathered to produce the greatest lifting effect along a line suitable to drive the aeroplane forward as may be required, and the recise position of the propeller blades 1s determined in the first place by the position of the blades with respect to the gear 66, and when that gear changes position the propeller blades will change their plane of lifting effect accordingly.

In operation as the engine drives the propeller, the operator will control its speed by means well known in the art and forming no part of this invention. If he desires to rise, he will raise the wings at their front edges, and this will simultaneously shift the position of the two gears 66 thereby altering their relation to the propellers and causing the position of the vanes to be shifted to increase the climbing effect of the propeller. In a reverse way, if it is desired to descend the planes will be tipped down in front and simultaneously the vanes of the propeller will be tipped so as to reduce the climbing effect whereby the plane may be caused to descend at will.

Havingthus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows, express reservation being made of permissible modifications.

1. In an, aeroplane, the combination of lifting and steerin wings with a propeller revoluble on an axis at right angles to the line of Hight of the aeroplane and means to simultaneously vary the position 0f propeller vanes and lifting wings to increase or diminish their climbing effect.

2. In an aeroplane, the combination of lifting and steering wings with a propeller having feathering blades revoluble on an axis at right angles to the line of Hight of the areoplane and means to simultaneously var v the position of propeller vanes and lifting wings to increase or diminish their climbing effect. ...3; In an aeroplane, the combination of lifting and steering wings with a propeller revoluble on an axis at right angles to the line of flight of the aeroplane, the propeller blades also being revoluble on their axes at one half the rate of revolution of the propeller itself and means to simultaneously vary the position of propeller vanes and lifting wings to increase or diminish their climbing effect.

4. In an aeroplane, the combination with a framework carrying lifting and steering wings of a propeller revoluble on an axis at right angles to the line of flight of the aeroplane. and cordinate means for varying the angle of incidence of the lifting wings and of the propeller vanes with respect to the frame of the `aeroplane, the adjustment of the propeller vanes and the lifting wings takin place simultaneously.

5. In an aeroplane, the combination of a framework carrying three lifting wings and a plurality of steering wings with a propeller revoluble on an axis at right angles to the line of flight of the aeroplane, and

means to Vary the angle of incidence of the three lifting wings and of the propeller blades with respect to the framework of the aeroplane, the adjustment of the propeller vanes and the lifting wings taking place simultaneously.

6. ln an aeroplane, the combination of a framework carrying lifting and steering wings with a propeller revoluble on an axis at r1ght angles to the line of flight of the aeroplane, and means to simultaneously change the angle of incidence of the lifting planes and certain of the steering planes and the blades of the propeller whereby the aeroplane may be caused to ascend or descend at will.

7. In an aeroplane, the combination with a framework carrying lifting and steering at right angles to the line of flight of the aeroplane, said propeller carrying wings revoluble on axes parallel to the axis of the propeller itself, gears on the outer sides of the propeller for rotating the propeller blades at a rate of speed substantially one half the rate of speed of the propeller itself and means to simultaneously vary the angle of incidence of the propeller planes and lifting wings to increase or diminish the climbing effect of the machine.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of May,vA. D. 1918.

ROBERT CHRISTIE. 

